‘Let’s Buy Spirit’ TikTok Campaign Unexpectedly Goes Viral
The campaign had drawn $132 million in nonbinding pledges by Tuesday as Spirit was dismantled in bankruptcy court.
- Voice actor Hunter Peterson launched a viral TikTok campaign seeking to crowd-fund the revival of Spirit Airlines, with his website letsbuyspirit.com attracting over 156,000 non-binding pledges toward a $1.75 billion target.
- Spirit Airlines ceased operations on Saturday after 34 years due to financial losses and rising fuel costs. The carrier is being liquidated in bankruptcy court while lenders repossess its aircraft.
- Industry analysts warn that Spirit needs at least $1 billion to settle debts and resume operations, yet the $132 million in non-binding pledges represents only a fraction of capital required. The average pledge stands at $772.
- Any revival faces massive Department of Transportation regulatory hurdles, including a rigorous "fitness" test and a requirement that at least 75 percent of voting interest be held by Americans. A crowdfunded airline model has no historical precedent.
- Economists note the "Spirit Effect"—where ultra-low-cost carriers lower fares across the board—is at risk without the airline. Peterson described the viral campaign as "a joke that is rapidly going out of control," yet it underscores consumer frustration over rising travel costs.
13 Articles
13 Articles
The smallest amount that can be pledged is $45. That's roughly the average price of a one-way Spirit Airlines ticket, Peterson emphasizes on the fundraising website. He wants ownership and potential profits to belong to ordinary people, not corporations. "Passengers, employees, and the communities Spirit Airlines served can reclaim them," he added. Spirit Airlines, previously the largest low-cost carrier in the US, ceased operations on Saturday,…
Inside the Totally Far-Fetched Grassroots Campaign to Buy Spirit Airlines for the People
A Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 departing from Harry Reid International Airport, in Las Vegas. Inside the totally far-fetched grassroots campaign to revive the bankrupted Spirit Airlines for the people By Stuart Heritage Farewell, then, Spirit Airlines. After 34 years, two bankruptcy filings, tens of thousands of dollars in fines for deceptive fare advertising, and at least one instance of a passenger urinating on the cabin floor after being denie…
Thousands support a TikToker’s call to crowdfund Spirit. Could it happen?
Voice actor Hunter Peterson started the movement as a joke, but after 6 million views and a website crash, he’s now recruiting aviation lawyers to see if the ‘community-owned’ model can actually fly
The viral TikTok $1.75 bid to save Spirit Airlines is fighting the wrong villain
On Tuesday, what remains of Spirit Airlines is being picked apart in bankruptcy court. Aircraft lenders are repossessing those bright yellow airplanes while the major U.S. carriers jockey for the rest of the assets, like gates. But some fans of Spirit aren’t ready to give up yet. Hunter Peterson, a 22-year-old voice actor for video games like Hyrule Warriors, posted a TikTok shortly after Spirit announced it was ceasing operations on Saturday, w…
Viral ‘Let’s Buy Spirit’ Campaign Draws Millions In Pledges After Airline Shutdown
A grassroots online campaign to revive Spirit Airlines has gained significant traction, with tens of thousands of supporters pledging millions of dollars to bring the defunct carrier back under community ownership. The effort, known as “Let’s Buy Spirit,” was launched by Los Angeles-based voice actor and YouTuber Hunter Peterson shortly after the airline ceased operations on May 2. What began as a lighthearted idea on social media quickly evolve…
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